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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — in music
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a signal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. mate — a friend
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com